by Candace Shaw
“I was wondering why you cut your hair. I know you’ve always preferred it long.”
“It’ll grow back. Anyway, it does feel weird sleeping in my old room. Besides college breaks, I haven’t really lived here since I was eighteen.”
“I remember when we used to come visit our families when we lived in Nashville. We slept in your twin canopy bed because you just had to sleep in your own room and not the guestroom.” Cannon laughed as he remembered the pink walls, pink and green comforter set with the huge pink flowers, pink fluffy pillows and the pink canopy over the bed. “All that damn pink. I felt like I was in a bottle of Pepto Bismol.”
“It was hilarious, both of us trying to fit in that bed.” She laughed, taking a sip of her wine. “But there’s a queen bed in there now with no canopy, and the walls are beige.”
“Didn’t we break the bed one time?”
“Ha! Yes. One of the bed rails came unattached from the headboard.”
“Yeah, I remember. I fixed it and then pulled you down on the floor to finish making love to you.”
She lowered her eyes. “Cannon, let’s not do this right now.”
He slid off of the barstool and pulled her into his arms, deciding to forgo Bria’s suggestion of giving Yasmine space. He needed her and besides, if she wanted space, she wouldn’t have invited him to stay for dinner.
“You mean you don’t remember? I do. We didn’t want to wake your mother, so I started off with slow strokes so you and the bed wouldn’t make a sound. More so you. Then you kept telling me how damn good I was making you feel, and I got a little faster and the rail came loose, but luckily your mother didn’t hear. We waited a few minutes to make sure, and then I put the comforter and the pillows on the floor. I was able to give you long, deep thrusts from behind as you buried your head in the pillow to muffle out just how good it was.”
She tried to step out of his embrace, but he held her firm next to him. He could hear her heart beating faster and louder. “Tell me you don’t remember that night.”
“I remember,” she said with a smirk. “You had to use the pillow as well in the end.”
“We had some great times, Yasmine.”
She exhaled. “Yes, we did … but—”
“But what? I know you still feel something for me.”
“I—”
“It’s in your voice. It’s in your eyes. It’s in your heart.”
“Cannon—”
“I miss you saying my name.” He kissed her softly on the side of her neck, releasing a sensual moan. “Miss you moaning in my ear.” He lifted the bottom of her sweater up, running his hands up her back and then down to her butt, pulling her into him. “Miss your skin next to mine.” He continued trailing kisses down her neck. “Miss your scent.”
He claimed her lips in an erotic kiss, sinking his tongue deep inside of her mouth, sending sizzling currents through his body that he was pretty sure she felt as she trembled in his arms.
“Why did you leave me last night?” He kissed her quivering lips hard, needing to claim her again. He wanted to kiss away the memory of the men that came after him.
“I was scared.” Her words were a breathless whisper.
“I wanted you. Needed you so bad. I was up half the night trying to force myself to not hop in my car and come over here. Tell me what I have to do to make you mine again.”
Pushing away from him, she walked to the other side of the island.
She shook her head and answered him in a soft tone, “I don’t know. You hurt me.” Her voice escalated to an irritated pitch. “You left me.”
“I didn’t intentionally leave you. I was coming back, and may I remind you, you called off our engagement not me. I never said I didn’t want to marry you.”
“No,” she lashed out. “You said we could get married anytime and then told me you weren’t ready to get married.” She sighed and all the pain he’d caused was plain as day on her face. “How do you think that made me feel?”
“I’m so sorry for hurting you. I had a lot on my plate, and I wasn’t thinking about—”
“Me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “You weren’t thinking about me.”
“You didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”
“No I didn’t, considering I put you first in my life.”
“And you did. I took for granted that you’d always be by my side no matter what.”
She looked away from him for a second before settling her eyes on his face with a heartbreaking stare. “Maybe we simply weren’t meant to be.” Her voice cracked and she looked away, blinking back tears that he didn’t want to fall. He hated seeing her cry knowing he was the cause of her pain.
“Is that what you think?” he questioned, as he stepped around the island to stand directly in front of her. “That we weren’t meant to be?”
“No, but if you keep telling yourself something over and over you start to believe it as the truth. I loved you very much, Cannon, and I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you, but you had other plans that didn’t include me. It hurt like hell when you walked out that door.”
“Didn’t you get my last voicemail? I waited and waited for you to call back. Even at the airport I looked around thinking you’d come.”
“I thought about it, but I couldn’t be selfish. So I didn’t run after you. I wasn’t going to beg you not to go. You had this wonderful opportunity to go to Brazil and help open the clinic in that impoverished village that needed medical care. You worked so hard to make it happen.”
“Yasmine, I was coming back. I wasn’t going to be in Brazil forever. I had my residency to come back to and you.”
“I know, but you would’ve just found something else to get involved with. I’ve kept up with you over years. I’ve read all of your articles and seen the documentaries that were done on the other clinics you’ve helped set up in other countries. You’ve contributed a lot to the medical field by starting Doctors Unlimited.”
“Well, you did tell me to go save the world.”
She laughed, but suddenly tears started to run down her face. “I did, but in the end, I just didn’t see where I would fit in with your life.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. “But you did. You were the one thing in my life that was stable. You kept me focused and motivated. After we broke up, I was a wreck, woman.”
“That may be true, but you blatantly told me you weren’t ready to get married, and we could get married anytime as if marrying me was the last thing on your list to do.”
“I never meant to hurt you, Yasmine.”
“I know,” she said softly and laid her head on his chest.
“I messed up.” He shook his head and raised her chin so she could see he meant every word. “No, I didn’t mess up. I fucked up. I lost the only woman I’ve ever loved, and I don’t want to lose you again.”
“Cannon, it’s not that easy.” She tried to pull away from his embrace, but he held her firm in his arms, refusing to let her get away from him again.
“Tell me you don’t love me anymore, and I’ll leave you alone. However, I still love you very much, Angel face, and will until the day I die.”
Tears cascaded down her face and a heavenly smile crossed her lips. “I still love you very much, too. I’ve hated being apart from you, but after seeing all the wonderful things you’ve done with Doctors Unlimited. I’d do it again. I don’t regret it.”
“I promise to never give you a reason again, Angel face.”
“Oh how I’ve missed you calling me that.”
She jumped up into his arms, latching her lips onto his in the process and releasing a passionate avalanche of kisses on him. He placed her on the island as she wrapped her legs around his middle. He could feel her quiver in his arms as he penetrated her mouth deeply with his tongue, sending waves of sensual fire through his loins. He kissed her in a commanding manner as he molded his mouth into hers. He was going to do his damndest this time to
kiss her senseless. No running away from him like last night. She was his, and with every stroke of his tongue, he was going to make sure she realized that. She whispered his name, and he closed his mouth over hers as she surrendered a moan.
“You’re all mine again, you hear me?” he said, nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Yes and no.” She gave him a lazy smile even though he didn’t find it quite funny. Didn’t we just express that we’re still in love with each other?
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” He placed his hands over his heart and stumbled back a little, laughing at the same time. “Elizabeth, I’m coming to join you honey.”
She laughed for a few moments at his Fred Sanford impersonation before speaking in a serious yet sincere tone. “No, just listen. I don’t want to rush into anything with you because even though we still love each other, we may be in love with the younger versions of us when we first started dating.”
Resting his palms on either side of her on top of the island, he pressed his forehead against hers. “Please explain.”
“We’ve both changed and matured over the past twelve years. Instead of rushing, perhaps we should take it one day at a time and get to know each other again.”
He nodded reluctantly. “I suppose I understand where you’re coming from. I mean, you may have picked up some annoying bad habit that I can’t stand,” he said with a wink.
She playfully punched him on the arm. “Very funny, but the same can go for you as well. Oh, and I have a three month rule now,” she said. The timer, which had been beeping off and on for the past ten minutes, beeped again. Sliding off of the island, she walked toward the oven, and pulled out the salmon that was definitely done. She placed the pan next to the baked potatoes on the counter.
“Three month rule for what? Going to get your teeth cleaned? Your oil changed? Tires rotated?”
She smirked and placed a piece of salmon on his plate. “No, silly. Sex. I’ve been celibate for a while now, but when I do date seriously, I just don’t jump into bed with every Tom, Dick, and Harry right away.”
“Well, I hope not but um … you didn’t wait three months with me.” He encircled his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder while she cut the baked potatoes in half. It felt good to hold her that way again.
“I know.” Yasmine turned to look back at him with a grin on her face. “You’re the reason why I have the rule.”
“Ouch. I see your sarcastic sense of humor hasn’t changed.”
“I’m not teasing.”
Chapter Eight
Over the next few weeks, Cannon spent all of his free time after work with Yasmine either running errands for the wedding, just chilling at home, or going out. He was still somewhat in shock over her three month rule, but he was going to honor it—or at least try. Even though he knew there were some times he sensed she wanted to break it.
Tonight, Yasmine was on her way over to make the wedding favors. He’d printed the labels for the miniature bubble bottles that she was bringing along with the pink ribbon to tie around the top of it. He chuckled to himself as he thought about every time he said pink she would correct him by saying its fuchsia. Pink. Fuchsia. Hot pink. To him it was all just pink.
She arrived on time; that was one thing about her that definitely had not changed. She was always punctual and hated being late to anything. Unfortunately, once home, time restraints were nonexistent to him until his alarm clock sounded in the morning.
Cannon heard the doorbell ring just as he walked back into the kitchen from doing a few laps in his indoor heated pool. He thought he’d have time to change because all he had on were his swim trunks. He glanced on the monitor in the keeping room on the way to the front door. She looked frustrated, holding bags and a box she had readjusted to ring the doorbell again.
“Hey there,” he said, opening the door and grabbing the box from her.
She ran her eyes over his semi-naked body. Her gaze settled on his chest and he moved his pecs, which released a pretty smile from her. He saw her glance at the scar on the left side of his chest, and she sucked in her breath before turning to shut the door. He found it cute she was the only woman ever to be fascinated with the scar left from a few stitches.
“About time. I was getting ready to leave.”
“I can always give you a key,” he said as he led the way to the kitchen table where he had everything set up for them to make the wedding favors.
“Is this an ice breaker game for the evening?” She ran her fingers down his back, which was sure to provoke another lap—or ten—in the pool. “Why are you answering the door half naked trying to be smooth and sexy in your swim trunks?”
“So you think I’m smooth and sexy?” He winked at her and took the bag she had on her wrist.
“I said trying to be.” She smiled before kissing his cheek.
“Well, you keep touching me like that and you’ll see how smooth I can be in the bedroom. I’m sure you remember.”
She shook her head, laughing nervously. “Go get dressed.”
“All right. I’ll be back in a few minutes, unless you want to join me in the shower.” He lowered his head and gave her a slow, sensual kiss.
“As tempting as that is,” she ran her finger over his scar and then patted him on his butt, “no.” She winked and stepped out of his embrace.
“You know you want all of this,” he teased as he headed toward the staircase. “There’s some pita bread and hummus in the refrigerator for you and some sliced cantaloupes.”
“Thanks. I’ll set it on the island so we won’t get food on the favors.”
Twenty minutes later they had an assembly line going at the kitchen table. He placed the labels on the bubble bottles, and she tied the ribbon around the top before placing them in a huge white basket. Around the handle was an artificial vine of white roses intertwined with ivy leaves topped with a huge fuchsia bow.
“How many?” he asked in a tired tone after the twentieth one.
“You already know we have two hundred and fifty to do. After that, it’s on to the bird seed and tulle baggies.” She pointed to the bag on the floor.
“We must really love our best friends,” he said with a chuckle as he passed her another bottle.
“We do. Besides, they would do the same for us if we were getting married.” She stopped tying the bow on the bottle and raised her head slowly to meet his eyes.
“Really?” he asked as she lowered her eyes to finish tying the bow. “Is that our next step?”
“Cannon, we’ve only been back in each other’s lives for a few months, and we aren’t even a couple. Marriage should be the last thing on our minds.”
He sighed. “I know. We’re in the getting-to-know-each-other stage again.” He rolled his eyes.
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“No, I’m being serious. However, just so you know, eventually I will ask you to marry me, Yasmine. I told you, I’m never letting you go again, so you might as well get used to this.”
She pursed her lips together to smother a smile, but ended up releasing a beautiful one instead. “You just won’t quit.”
“Not this time. So let’s change the subject. Tell me about the men you’ve dated since me.”
She went to the island where their snacks were and scooped up some hummus on a pita cracker.
“I know you’re joking,” she sarcastically said with a wrinkled brow. “You don’t really want to know.”
“Just curious.” He set a few more labeled bottles on her side of the table.
She sighed, popped another cracker in her mouth, and proceeded to wash her hands before returning to the assembly line.
“Well, let’s see. Your rebound was a stockbroker I met when I first moved to New York. Nice guy, I suppose. A little on the arrogant side, but not toward me. Smoked cigars. Took me to the Hamptons one summer.”
“What happened? He seemed like a good catch.” Okay, she’s right. I really don’t wan
t to know.
“I wasn’t ready for a commitment. The guy after him was a jazz musician. Played the saxophone. Drove a motorcycle. He was cool, but our schedules were different. He was at work when I needed to be asleep.”
“Um … you never went to see him perform?”
“Sometimes on the weekends, but rarely during the week. I had grad school, and I taught second grade. My career came first which was his gripe. He said I was heartless, lacked warmth, and wasn’t supportive of his dreams. Come to think of it, the stockbroker said the same and another guy I dated.”
“I find it hard to believe that someone said you lacked warmth and was heartless. You’re the most loving person I know.”
“You can believe it because I know I was all those things.” She sighed. “I didn’t want another man to get so close to me that I fell in love only to get hurt again. I put up a wall that none of them could knock down or climb over.”
“So you haven’t been in love with anyone else besides me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. Kinda hard to fall in love when you left your heart with someone else. You’re the only man that has ever broken it, and I didn’t want to experience it again.”
“Damn, I made you bitter?”
“I wasn’t bitter. I dated and had fun, but a woman has to protect herself as well.”
“I can respect that considering I have three sisters. I would kill a man over them. That guy who broke Bria’s heart better be glad she begged me and Sean not to go over to his house to have a men to punk conversation.”
“Really? Too bad I don’t have a big brother. Maybe he would’ve done that for me.” She yawned. “How many more?”
“Plenty.”
“Cool. I need a break. What do you have at the bar?” she asked, walking over to the butler’s pantry between the kitchen and the dining room.
“Just about anything. You know I pretty much only drink rum and Coke, but I believe there’s some Crown in the cabinet.”
“My favorite.” She found it in the bottom cabinet and took a can of Coke out of the mini fridge.
He rewound their conversation in his head a few times before meeting her in the butler’s pantry.
